Conquest Without Victims-Another look at Kashmir
My article titled Conquest Without Victims-Another look at Kashmir appeared in the newsletter of Liberty Institute, May 1999. War clouds are again gathering over Kashmir. While the political divide is obvious, effective steps towards open trade and travel in Kashmir and in South Asia, would go a long way in building a market based relationship. And this, in turn, could help ameliorate the political pressures. The specter of balkanisation on race, ethnic, religious or linguistic grounds around the world has generated the realisation that no society is immune to this pressure and “ethnic cleansing” is a completely unacceptable solution. This century is replete with instances of horrendous crimes committed in the name of defending one's community. For instance, Pakistan was created on the basis of a particular religious affinity, which claimed to be irreconcilably different from other major religions in the sub-continent. However, within two decades, it was clear that Pakistan’s rel...